Kirsten Kimono Tee - summer stripes

A few months ago I made my first t-shirt from the Kirsten Kimono Tee pattern.  The pattern was so easy, I fancied having another go.  I picked this fabric up in Fashion Fabrics in Bath - there was only 80cm left, but that was plenty for this cute t-shirt.

There's nothing like stripes for a pattern matching challenge, but I can verify that the matching was significantly easier on this t-shirt compared to the chevron skirt - a combination of not trying to get them at right angles and also the stripes being much broader.  Horizontal stripes are reputed for making people look wider, but I decided I really didn't care - I like the fabric too much!

Last time I made this I had a few problems - first was the fact that my machine kept skipping stitches, which I then had to tidy up by hand on any bits which were visible.  Happily, this was fixed by my new jersey machine needles - definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Secondly, last time round, I just couldn't get the neckline right.  It ended up quite loose at the back and very stretched at the front.  This time was significantly more even, and I also did a 'stitch in the ditch' rather than the zig zag stitch over the binding, which I liked a lot better - although I did have to do some hand stitching to catch a bit of the binding which didn't get caught by the stitches.  The tension might have been a little more than I wanted, as the fabric is ever so slightly tight in places, but overall, I'm much happier with this attempt at the neckline.

My second t-shirt, and I'm really pleased with it.  Hopefully it'll get plenty of wear this summer if the good weather stays around...!

Kirsten Kimono Tee - sewing with knits

I was reading Lauren's blog on the Guthrie and Ghani site a few weeks ago, and came across her lovely make of the Kirsten Kimono Tee from www.mariadenmark.com. As it happens, I've had a lovely length of red knit fabric in my stash for a few months now. So I took the opportunity and downloaded the free pattern to make my first t-shirt. As there are no darts and you don't need to set in sleeves, this is a really quick and easy make.

Pattern pinned and ready to cut

I like my t-shirts to be quite fitted, and the fabric I was using was really stretchy. Once I had cut the fabric out, I realised that it would look huge on me if I only used the 1cm seam allowances that I had counted on using. In the end, my seam allowances were more like 1.5 inches, and that gave me the fit I was looking for. I did properly grade between pattern sizes for the first time, and it worked out really well - I need a larger size at the hips, and the grading that I did flowed perfectly to give me the right amount of room where needed.

The most difficult bit of this make was the neckline. Lauren's overlocked version looks lovely, but I tried to follow the instructions, got myself a bit lost...and it didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it. The ribbing is a little looser at the back and a little tighter at the front than it's meant to be, but as far as I can tell, it looks fine when I'm actually wearing it! It's something I'll definitely bear in mind though for next time.

Zigzag stitching at the sleeves

It's nice to have made a proper wardrobe staple - cake, not just icing! I'm sure I'll get plenty of wear from this. If you're thinking about taking on the challenge of knits, this free pattern is an ideal place to start.